The Housewife's ABC

Title: The Housewife’s ABC

Published: 1921

Author: Winnifred S. Fales, Janet Hunter

Publisher: George G. Harrap and Co, Ltd.

The Housewife’s ABC begins from a place of social conformity: the opening line reads, “Housekeeping and the management of a home provide the most interesting occupations for a home-loving woman, and the daily tasks become a pleasure when the housewife takes a real interest in the affairs of her home” (5). It’s a statement that reflects the relatively early publication date of this book within the collection, as well as a core trait of this text in particular: the purpose of the book is purely to provide a kind of encyclopedia of household remedies and instructions for maintenance techniques. One page lists instruction on “Bronze, To clean - Brown Stain for Wood - Brown Sugar, To keep from lumping - Brush of Carpet-sweeper, To clean - Brushes, Paint, To soften and clean - Bugs, To destroy” (24); others include first-aid instructions, cooking tips, and home repair suggestions. Despite its relatively regressive viewpoint, this book actually lacks much of the social pressure that exists in some others, as its purely practical nature means that much of the social “instructions” are relegated to the introduction - not necessarily an area many people would read on their way to find out how to keep cucumbers crisp or fill dents in wooden furniture.